Call of Duty devs keep cross-play active despite raging hacker issues in Warzone and Black Ops 6 Ranked

Modified Dec 24, 2024 12:46 GMT

Exploring the reasons why cross-play is still active in Warzone and Black Ops 6 Ranked Play (Image via Activision)

The hacker situation has worsened in Warzone and Black Ops 6 Ranked Play, and despite this, the developers have kept the cross-play enabled. In Ranked Play, cross-play is on by default and cannot be disabled. Most hackers infesting the lobbies are PC-based, leading console players to urge the developers to introduce an option to disable cross-play in competitive modes.

Here, we will delve into why Call of Duty developers have chosen to keep cross-play active despite the rampant hacker issue and its potential impact on the game.

Cross-play is active in Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Play despite severe hacking issue

In a blog post released on December 23, 2024, about the matchmaking process for Black Ops 6 Ranked Play, the developers clarified their stance on cross-play, stating:

"For Ranked Play in Black Ops 6, cross-play is active for all players. This allows for the largest player population possible to maximize matching players with others of similar Rank and Skill Rating. We’re continuing to gather community feedback, and are working closely across all aspects, including addressing reports of cheating with Team RICOCHET."

From this statement, it is evident that the developers have prioritized faster matchmaking and balanced matches by keeping cross-play enabled to ensure a larger player pool. However, the worsening hacking situation, where hackers frequently dominate lobbies, has led to frustration among legitimate players. Several notable players have even left the game due to rampant cheating.

While the devs have announced significant updates to the Ricochet anti-cheat system, these updates are planned for Seasons 2 and 3, leaving over a month until the end of Season 1. This delay aggravates the current frustration, as legitimate players must endure hacker-filled lobbies for the foreseeable future.

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In response to the immediate issues, the developers have deployed the following updates to Ricochet:

Several additional detections have been deployed over the last week.
Over 20,000 accounts have been banned for engaging in boosting and cheating behavior, targeting Ranked Play in Warzone and Black Ops 6.
Enhanced data center safeguards to ensure a more secure experience for Black Ops 6 Ranked Play.

The developers have also outlined plans for 2025, including:

Adding an additional layer of server infrastructure to mitigate stability issues that occur at the server level.
Additional upgrades to existing kernel driver and server systems.
Brand new server-side detection mechanisms.

While these updates aim to address the cheating problem, their delayed implementation may lead to further player dissatisfaction and negatively impact the game’s reputation.

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Edited by Ripunjay Gaba